Automatic flush valve for toilet bowl



y 4, 1955 c. ANDERSEN 2,709,063

AUTOMATIC FLUSH VALVE FOR TOILET BOWL Filed May 7, 1952 .Cf/ARL s5 Alva ERSEN ATTORNEX AUTOMATIC FLUSH VALVE FOR TOILET BOWL Charles Andersen, New York, N. Y.

Application May 7, 1952, Serial No. 286,526

2 Claims. (Cl. 251-44) The present invention relates to valves and regulators for water supplied to toilet bowls and the like, and particularly to a special flush valve for a toilet bowl.

The main object of my invention is to provide an automatically closing flush valve that will act promptly to close off the water fiow to the bowl.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple valve construction that is not likely to get out of order but will always be instantly effective to operate.

A further object is to have a special flush valve that is free from floats, levers and the like and that instead has only one actual moving part of simple form.

It is, of course an object to have a flush valve of the character indicated that is not only simple in form, but entirely practical and also simple to make and use.

An object is likewise to have such a valve structure that is reasonable in cost in order to encourage wide distribution on the market generally.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in greater detail as the specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for a proper appreciation of the salient features of the same, the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a toilet bowl equipped with an automatically closing flush valve made according to the invention and embodying the same in a practical form;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation largely in vertical section, showing details of construction and relations of parts of the flush valve of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is another side elevation of the valve structure of Figure 2 as seen from reference line 3--3.

In the views, the same reference numerals indicate the same or like parts.

It is well known that all too often, trouble is experienced with operation of flush valves used with toilet bowls, the valves being many times sluggish in operation, not water tight, and unsatisfactory in many ways too numerous to mention. Upon considering this problem, it has occurred to me that an elfective and promptly acting automatic flush valve should be available for a toilet bowl that would not get out of order. As a result, I have succeeded in producing a special automaticic flush valve as already outlined, which I shall now proceed to describe in detail.

Hence, in the practice of my invention, and referring also again to the drawing, a toilet bowl, generally indicated at 9 is located a short distance from a rear wall 10, behind which is disposed a flush pipe 11 extending down from a tank (not shown). An elbow 12 is secured to the lower end of pipe 11 and connects it to a horizontal, forwardly extending pipe 6, which at its forward end is secured to an upright cylindrical valve casing 4 provided with a top closure 13. At its lower end, this valve casing has a valve seat 14 secured thereto which forms a flange upon the upper end of flush tube 8 that connects directly 2,709,063 t n ed- W 3 955 2; I .i t with the rear portion 15 of bowl 9, for supplying thefiush water to the bowl from pipe 11. l l

Within the cylindrical casing 4 in almosta piston fit is located a vertically movable ball of predetermined weight and normally resting upon the seat 14 and thus closing off flush tube 8'. The upper portion of the wallet casing 4 has a curved vent tube or pipe 3' secured thereto and communicating with the casing interior at its upper end. This vent tube 3 curves about horizontal pipe 6 out of contact with the same and is connected at its lower end with a pipe elbow 16 of special form by means of a union 17 at one end and at the other end by a union 18 with another pipe elbow 19 that extends into the side wall of flush tube 8 and terminates in an upwardly directed end 20 spaced but a small distance below the valve ball 5, in the low position of this ball.

At a point near the elbow 12, horizontal pipe 6 has an inclined vent pipe 2 extending through the top of the wall of the pipe and terminating within this pipe in an obliquely cut open end 21, while upon an intermediate portion, this pipe has an adjuster 7 adapted to be opened or closed at will which restricts flow through pipe 2. The adjuster '7 serves to restrict or free the fiow of air into vent pipe 2 in order to control movement of ball valve 5. The other higher end 22 of pipe 2 extends in through curved pipe 3 and is directed downward within the same at a point above the level of horizontal pipe 6. Below the point at which pipe 2 enters pipe 3, the latter has a valve 1 for opening or closing pipe 3 at will in order to cause the entire valve device as a whole to operate.

The arrangement is such, that when the valve 1 is opened, water under pressure will pass down through pipe 3 and draw the water from the valve casing 4 above ball valve 5 and will eject this water upwardly from the end 26 of elbow 19 connected to pipe 3, thereby lifting ball valve 5 upwardly off its seat 14. This immediately opens full communication between pipe 6 and flush tube 8 and thus allows the full flow of water from flush pipe 11 to pass down through tube 8 into the bowl.

When valve 1 is closed, pipe 3 is closed thereby and the water flows through this pipe upwardly only into casing 4 above ball valve 5, quickly pushing the same down upon its seat 14 and closing flush tube 8, the ball descending from its open position shown in broken lines in Figure 2 to the full line position. The only etfective moving part within the device is thus the ball valve 5, while the manually operated valve 1 is the only other movable part, but this is controlled by hand, and thus controls operation of the valve device as a whole. The valve structure of the invention is thus an automatically closed flush valve that is easily controlled and is prompt in action at all times and entirely effective to open and close.

M'anifestly, variations may be resorted to, and parts and features may be modified or used without others within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim:

1. An automatically closed flush valve for a toilet bowl, the combination, with a flush pipe, having a horizontal portion, a cylindrical valve casing connected adjacent its bottom to the free end of said horizontal pipe portion and closed at the top but having a valve seat in the bottom, a vertically movable ball within the casing in almost a piston fit therewith and normally resting on the valve seat therein, a downwardly directed flush tube leading from said valve seat, a vent tube interconnecting the interior of said valve casing adjacent said top with said flush tube slightly below the level of said valve seat, a second vent tube entering the top of said horizontal pipe portion near the flush pipe and terminating within said pipe portion in an open end, the other end of said second vent extending into a side wall of said first vent tube and terminating Within the same in a downwardly extending position above the level of said horizontal pipe portion, an adjuster in References Cited in the file of this patent said'second'vent tube intermediate its ends and adapted to UNITED STATES PATENTS restrict flow of llqllld through said second vent tube, and a valve in said first vent tube below the end of said second 641009 i f 1900 venttube, said valve being manually operable. .5 938683 Mlnce 1909 2. A device according to claim 1, said first vent tube 1,876,223 Hagey Sept' 1932 at its upper end entering the wall of said valvecasing FOREIGN PATENTS above the highest position of said ball and at its other 65,399

end entering the side wall of said flush tube and terminatswltzefland 19 13 ing withinthe same in an upwardly directed end spaced 10 a short distance below the closed position of the ball. 

